Last Update: February 13, 2023, 10:44 IST
CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that various indices show that Kerala has the best law and order situation in the country (file photo)
Addressing a party function here on Sunday, CPI(M) veteran Vijayan said minorities are being continuously targeted in BJP-ruled states, but they live peacefully in Left-ruled Kerala.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the latter’s tirade against the southern state, and asked the BJP leader to explain what danger he sensed in Kerala.
Addressing a party function here on Sunday, CPI(M) veteran Vijayan said minorities are being continuously targeted in BJP-ruled states, but they live peacefully in Left-ruled Kerala.
“Everyone is aware of the situation in Kerala. Amit Shah should tell what is wrong here…Minorities in Karnataka face widespread attacks while religious minorities are safe in Kerala.
During a visit to Dakshina Kannada district in neighboring Karnataka on Saturday, Amit Shah told a public meeting that “Kerala is in your neighbourhood” in an indirect reference to the crackdown on several leaders of the Islamist outfit Popular Front. India (PFI), which was banned last year, and urged people to vote for the BJP in the poll-bound state.
On this, CM Vijayan said that as the Home Minister, Shah should have said that people are living together in Kerala and such a situation should be created in those places where the BJP is in power.
“Many communal violence has been witnessed in our border areas in Karnataka including Mangaluru. A 150-year-old church in Chikmagalur was attacked by the Sangh Parivar during the 2021 Christmas season. Christians and other minorities have faced many such attacks from the Sangh Parivar. But is this the case in Kerala? No one in Kerala has to face any kind of trouble because of their faith.
The senior Left leader pointed out that various indices show that Kerala has the best law and order situation in the country and follows secularism.
“However, the Sangh Parivar thrives on communalism and communal violence. They want to divert people’s attention from real issues and misgovernance.”
The CPI(M) politburo member also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who claimed that the Left and the Congress had strangely chosen ‘dosti’ (friendship) in Tripura over their usual ‘kushti’ in Kerala.
Vijayan claimed that the BJP is opposed in Tripura because it had resorted to illegal means to establish its presence there. He alleged that the BJP, which never had any influence in Tripura, took over the leaders and party machinery from the Congress party.
“BJP has become a destructive force in this country. If BJP is given another chance then it will be disastrous for this country.
He further said that regional parties which are influential in each state have come together to fight the Sangh Parivar.
The Marxist veteran also attacked the Congress and said it has become a “recruitment party” for the BJP.
“Senior leaders including AICC members, former Union ministers, MPs, state ministers, state PCC chiefs – all of them are now working for the BJP. They should accept the reality. To face the BJP, they should be ready to oppose the policies of the BJP. The BJP is putting secularism in danger in this country.
Vijayan asked the Congress to take a tough stand against communalism to protect secularism.
He also attacked the state leadership of the Congress and said it was being led by a leader who claimed that he would go to the BJP if he wanted to do so.
“A person who openly admits that he will switch to BJP is leading the Congress in the state right now. Has he taken any action? No, they are too weak to face the BJP,” Vijayan said.
He also claimed that instead of talking about the development aspects of Kerala, Congress MPs were maligning the state’s image in Parliament.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)